Copyright surround football badges - Copyright Aid (2024)

FAQs

Can I use a football team logo? ›

If you wish to use any Football Association intellectual property, you will need authorisation. Unless you have authorisation you are not permitted to produce, distribute or sell any products that bear Football Association marks and this includes the production of samples to show manufacturing or product capabilities.

Club Nickname

Many football clubs have nicknames, for example, Manchester United are also called 'the Red Devils'. It is also likely that a club will seek to protect the official use of the club's nickname by registering it as a trademark.

Trademark law prohibits use of a team's logo or other trademarks that will confuse consumers into believing there is some affiliation, connection, association, sponsorship or approval between the team and you.

Unauthorized use of any such Trademarks, including reproduction, imitation, dilution or confusing or misleading uses, is prohibited under the trademark laws of the United States and other countries, as applicable.

To use a sports team's logo requires permission from the owner of the copyright and/or trademark (if the logo is also used as a trademark). Permission must be in writing (copyright law requires this be in writing to be valid).

To get permission and avoid trademark infringement, write a letter to the trademark owner. Include a description of why you are asking and how the logo will be used. Third parties should never use someone else's logo without a licensed agreement, including program and corporate logos.

The players of the opponent teams are competitors and not collaborators. Therefore, football matches as unprocessed events cannot be protected as works.

You would typically need to seek permission from the rights holder, such as the sports team or the organization that owns the rights to the logo.

According to U.S. Trademark Law, “the unauthorized use of a mark in commerce” is considered trademark infringement and can lead to legal action.

You can't sell products with the logos without permission. You could get sued for trademark infringement. Copyright would depend on the logo and its history. Check out the trademark licensing terms and conditions of each team.

What counts as copyright infringement on logos? ›

Logo copyright infringement is when a logo, that has been registered as intellectual property, is used without the owner's permission. Copyright law protects the logo as an artistic work. If anyone uses an important component of your logo then you may be able to legally pursue them for infringement.

All of the NFL teams have their logos, names, etc. trademarked either individually or through the NFL. To legally sell anything with those logos you would have to get permission of the team and the NFL. Since all of these are registered trademarks you could be fined for each sale you make.

Many uses, including our logos, app and product icons, and other designs, will require a license first. Unless you have an express license from Microsoft, these Trademark Guidelines will exclusively govern your use of our Brand Assets.

Certain designs, images, slogans, and other forms of content are legally protected. This means you can't just use the logos of your favorite sports teams in a design or certain things from your favorite television shows. However, that doesn't mean your t shirt design has to be boring.